Jeremiah 38 15

Jeremiah 38:15 kjv

Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?

Jeremiah 38:15 nkjv

Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I declare it to you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you advice, you will not listen to me."

Jeremiah 38:15 niv

Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me."

Jeremiah 38:15 esv

Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me."

Jeremiah 38:15 nlt

Jeremiah said, "If I tell you the truth, you will kill me. And if I give you advice, you won't listen to me anyway."

Jeremiah 38 verses

Jeremiah 38 15 meaning

Jeremiah confronts King Zedekiah with a two-fold accusation, expressing his deep apprehension: first, that revealing God's true message will result in his death due to Zedekiah's fear and willingness to appease hostile officials; and second, that even if he delivers divine counsel, the king has consistently demonstrated a pattern of unresponsiveness and disobedience. The verse underscores Jeremiah's valid fear for his life and the futility of delivering God's truth to a hardened and unwilling listener, revealing the tragic state of Judah's final king.

Jeremiah 38 15 Context

Jeremiah 38 takes place during the final siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army. The city is suffering from extreme famine. King Zedekiah, desperate but weak-willed, had secretly summoned Jeremiah multiple times previously for a word from the Lord (Jer 21, 37) but consistently rejected Jeremiah's counsel to surrender to the Babylonians to save the city. In chapter 38, officials accuse Jeremiah of undermining the morale of the few remaining soldiers with his message, and Zedekiah, fearing his officials, allows them to throw Jeremiah into a deep, muddy cistern. Later, Ebed-Melech the Cushite intervenes, and Jeremiah is lifted out, though he remains imprisoned in the court of the guard. The king then secretly sends for Jeremiah once more, meeting him in the third entrance of the temple, promising him secrecy. This verse is Jeremiah's initial response to Zedekiah's call, highlighting the history of abuse and rejection he has faced from the king and his officials, casting doubt on the sincerity and efficacy of yet another consultation.

Jeremiah 38 15 Word analysis

• Then Jeremiah said: Implies a direct, bold, and challenging response by the prophet.
• to Zedekiah: The last king of Judah, whose name means "Yahweh is my righteousness," a tragic irony given his unrighteous and faithless reign. His character is consistently portrayed as weak, indecisive, and fearful of his officials, yet also hesitant to fully submit to God's will.
• "If I tell you": (Hebrew: im 'aggid lach - אִם־אַגִּיד לָךְ). The word nagad (נגד - to make known, report, reveal) emphasizes conveying divine information. The conditional "if" points to a direct challenge of the king's prior actions.
• "will you not surely put me to death?": (Hebrew: halo' harog tahargeni - הֲלוֹא הָרֹג תַּהֲרְגֵנִי). A rhetorical question serving as a strong assertion, "Surely you will put me to death!" The infinitive absolute (harog) preceding the imperfect verb (tahargeni) powerfully intensifies the action, conveying absolute certainty and emphasis, like "you will certainly, truly kill me." This reflects Jeremiah's experience of near-death multiple times (Jer 20:2, 26:8, 38:4-6) and the constant threat under which he ministered.
• "And if I give you counsel": (Hebrew: v'chi 'iyatscha - וְכִי־אִיעָצְךָ). The term ya'atz (יעץ - to advise, consult, deliberate) signifies God's counsel or wisdom offered through the prophet. It implies not merely human advice but a divine directive carrying authority and eternal consequences.
• "you will not listen to me": (Hebrew: lo' tishma' 'elay - לֹא תִשְׁמָע אֵלָי). The Hebrew shama' (שמע) means more than just hearing sounds; it encompasses heeding, obeying, and acting upon what is heard. This highlights Zedekiah's long-standing pattern of superficial inquiry without genuine intention to obey. It speaks to a hardened heart and a lack of true repentance or commitment.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death?": This pairing of the prophet's words with the king’s history demonstrates the perilous nature of being God's messenger. It's a poignant expression of Jeremiah’s well-founded fear. It underscores Zedekiah's weakness, often allowing officials to threaten or harm the prophet. The rhetorical question immediately places the burden of responsibility and past misconduct squarely on the king.
• "And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.": This phrase points to the deeper problem than physical harm – the rejection of God's word itself. Jeremiah recognizes that even if his life were spared, Zedekiah's fundamental problem was an unwillingness to submit to divine guidance. This makes any further communication seem futile from Jeremiah's human perspective. It's not just that Zedekiah might not listen, but a definitive "you will not listen," based on consistent historical experience.

Jeremiah 38 15 Bonus section

• Zedekiah's secret consultations with Jeremiah demonstrate a hidden knowledge and conscience about the prophet's genuine connection to God, despite publicly condemning or ignoring him. This suggests a conflict within Zedekiah himself between recognizing the truth and his fear of man.
• Jeremiah's bold honesty, even in the face of fear, reinforces his character as one whose primary loyalty was to God, not to earthly power or personal safety. He did not withhold his blunt assessment of the king's failings.
• This exchange foreshadows the inevitability of Jerusalem's fall. If the king will neither spare the messenger's life for speaking truth nor obey the truth spoken, there is no hope for reversal of judgment.
• The rhetorical question serves not only as a complaint but also as a challenge, prompting Zedekiah to consider his past actions and their implications for Jeremiah's trust and willingness to speak. It essentially puts the king on trial before he even receives the prophet's message.

Jeremiah 38 15 Commentary

Jeremiah 38:15 distills the tragic and often paradoxical relationship between a faithful prophet and a disobedient king. Jeremiah, despite being divinely commissioned, expresses a profound and justified human fear for his life, born of repeated persecution under Zedekiah's weak and compromising rule. His past imprisonment, public ridicule, and near-death experiences for speaking God's truth gave weight to his words: any truthful counsel from him was a direct threat to the king's self-preserving lies and appeasement of hostile officials.

Beyond the threat to his life, Jeremiah voices a deeper futility: even if he could speak freely, Zedekiah's consistent refusal to listen and obey God's previous warnings made any future counsel pointless. The king frequently sought Jeremiah's word not for guidance to follow, but perhaps for confirmation of his own desires, a way out of judgment without repentance, or even a form of spiritual "fire insurance." His heart was hardened, rendering the divine message inert. This verse is a testament to God's patient yet frustrated attempt to reach Judah's final king through His devoted, suffering messenger, highlighting the profound human responsibility in choosing to heed or reject divine truth.